A Blog From The Editors Of Business Solutions Magazine

Today we held a preview Webinar for our upcoming Retail IT VAR of the Future event (May 12-13 in Las Vegas). During the presentation, we outlined the education that was planned for the two-day event. In addition, we had one of our conference speakers, Randy Roe, founder and president of Retail Technology Services, on the Webinar to share some specifics about his company’s success selling customer experience solutions to retailers.
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According to the latest research from SMB Group, as SMB requirements for fast, easy access to new social and mobile analytics solutions, more compute power and storage, and other services have increased, cloud adoption has boomed. The firm reported that 92 percent of SMBs are now using at least one cloud business solution and 87% are using at least one cloud infrastructure solution.
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When I set out to write our March issue’s special report on industry consolidation, I had no idea we’d have so many real world examples to talk about so soon. Well, that’s not true exactly. Heartland’s recent acquisition of Dinerware and pcAmerica was the industry’s worst kept secret. Still, the rumors were floating around for so long, I began to wonder if it would ever happen. Of course, on Feb. 13 it did happen...
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The recent cyber-attack on healthcare insurance giant Anthem (up to 80 million names, SSNs, birthdays, email address, etc.) has made me realize that, if you’re a VAR or MSP and you’re not pitching security solutions, you’re missing a huge opportunity.
The volume of attacks and media attention is practically doing your marketing for you. The fear of a breach, or resulting lawsuit, is enough to get a conversation started. All...
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Today I began crunching the data from a Business Solutions reader survey on the topic of consolidation, mergers, and acquisitions in the channel. The special report will appear in our March issue. Let me tell you right now, we received some great feedback in the survey. Without spoiling the entire report, I did want to share a couple trends I’m seeing immediately.
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If it’s true that great conference speakers cause the attendees to act constructively, then Chip Heath, the featured presenter at the RSPA INSPIRE 2015 Conference in Maui, HI, has proven to be a great speaker. Many of the 100+ channel executives attending this conference said Heath has taught them principles and actions they told me they will implement at their businesses.
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Most VARs and MSPs recognize that expanding their services offerings is a smart and necessary solution for achieving growth. And, when you can achieve a 99% customer retention rate as Alura Business Solutions has done, it suggests your customers like you and are likely to go with your recommendations. But, with a bigger line card comes the responsibility of managing more vendors, which some IT solution providers aren’t prepared...
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For literally years now, I’ve been harping on a few key things I believe would make in a difference in a solutions providers business. These recommendations center on getting close to your business — whether it’s measuring your financials, monitoring your business’ key performance indicators, or planning for the future. Today, I have evidence that these things can make a marked difference in revenue.
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A few months ago, we featured a case study on Tech Guides, a managed services provider (MSP) who uses RapidFire Tools Network Detective. Network assessments tools like Network Detective provide a great way to get your foot in the door with prospective customers by showcasing your know-how and helping you identify potential problems their current provider is overlooking.
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